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HS 0908.31Agriculture

HS Code for Green Cardamom (HS 0908.31)

Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is the world's third most expensive spice by weight after saffron and vanilla. Guatemala produces ~70% by volume; India (Kerala/Idukki auctions) commands a premium on 8mm+ bold grades. GCC (Saudi kahwa) is the largest consumer market.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules2 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
0908.31Cardamoms, neither crushed nor ground
0908.32Cardamoms, crushed or ground
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
Saudi Arabia
5%
GCC common external tariff; 15% VAT.
European Union
0%
United States
0%
India (BCD)
70%
Protects domestic auctions; no SAARC preference for cardamom.

Worked landed-cost example

5 MT AGMARK 8mm bold, FOB Cochin USD 22/kg, CIF Jeddah

FOBUSD 110,000
Freight + insuranceUSD 2,800
CIFUSD 112,800
Saudi duty 5%USD 5,640
VAT 15% on CIF+dutyUSD 17,766
Saudi landed USD 136,206 (~USD 27.24/kg).
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · EU Reg 2023/915 - ochratoxin A limit 15 μg/kg.
  • · Indian Spices Board grading (AGMARK): 8+, 7+, 6+, 6- mm.
  • · SASO SFDA 44/2007 for GCC food import registration.
Top exporting countries
  • · Guatemala
  • · India
  • · Sri Lanka
  • · Nepal
  • · Tanzania

Frequently asked questions

Why the Guatemala vs India price gap?

Guatemalan cardamom trades USD 4-8/kg below Indian AGMARK 8mm - it is bulk-grade for extraction and mass-market blends. Indian bold grades hold pricing on GCC hospitality demand.

Destination market toolkits

Country-specific duty, VAT/GST and Incoterms practice for the top destinations for agriculture.

Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%
Import into United Arab Emirates →
VAT · 5% standard
Import into United States →
No federal VAT / GST · 0% federal
Import into Germany →
VAT (Umsatzsteuer / Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) · 19% standard, 7% reduced
Import into Saudi Arabia →
VAT · 15% standard (from July 2020)
Import into China →
Import VAT · 13% standard, 9% reduced, 6% services

Agriculture landed-cost pages: every destination market

Jump straight to the agriculture import guide for any of the destination markets we cover.

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HS Code for Cocoa Powder (HS 1805.00) →

Related tools

HS Code Lookup →
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Import Duty & Tax →
Landed cost with duty, VAT/GST and cess.
Landed Cost by HS & Country →
Duty + VAT/GST + Incoterm split for this HS.
CIF ↔ FOB Converter →
Convert customs value between Incoterms.

Sources & citations

Duty rates and regulations compiled from WCO HS, WTO integrated database, national customs authorities and published FTA schedules. Provided for decision-support only - confirm the 10-digit line and current preferential status with your licensed customs broker before acting.

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